She grimaced. "That would be long in the telling, my Lord."

"Are you refusing to answer?"

"By no means, my Lord! But if I told You my complete history, I would be talking for the full month, and You would get none of Your necessary work done."

"Let me put it this way: your defection from Lucifer led to his undoing. I want to understand you well enough to know what would cause your defection from me."

"That much is simple. I will serve You loyally as long as I exist. You have the power to destroy any demon, me included, and to create any demon from ether. If You destroy me, I will not be able to serve You. If You do not destroy me, but treat me with contempt, in time my love may go elsewhere, and then I will serve You less loyally. But I will never truly betray You."

As she had not truly betrayed Lucifer, he realized. She had merely failed to serve him completely. The distinction was worth noting. "Lucifer treated you with contempt?"

"Yes, lately. He took concubines from among the d.a.m.ned souls, and even from among living witches, neglecting me. He a.s.signed me to corrupt a mortal, and did not reward me for my success. He even threatened to confine me to eternal punishment in h.e.l.l, and finally with destruction."

Parry nodded. "I was that mortal?"

"Yes."

"So you came to love me when I rescued you from the punishment he inflicted on you."

"Yes. But it was more than that. I do not desert my Lord lightly. He cast me off-and You showed me You were worthy. Now You are my Lord, and I will not desert You unless You treat me as Lucifer did."

"That I can understand and accept. Even in your alienation, you did not oppose Lucifer; you merely failed to volunteer more than he asked."

"He was my Lord."

"If I ever treat you as he did, I will expect the same from you."

"It would be easier for us both, my Lord, if You simply destroyed me and created a new demoness more to Your liking."

"Lilah, I have no intention of destroying you! But if it became necessary for some other demon-just how would I go about it?"

"That I cannot tell You, my Lord. It is a spell that only a very few know, because of the danger of its use. There would be chaos if any demon or soul could destroy any other."

"So Lucifer maintained his power because he could destroy any other, but they could not destroy him?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"An excellent precaution against revolution or coup! I approve of it. But how can I use it if I don't know the spell?"

"You must learn the spell, my Lord. Lucifer did, and all his predecessors."

"But it is not something that a person could guess, or come upon by chance?"

"Never, my Lord. It must be taught by one who knows."

"Can you tell me who knows it?"

"G.o.d knows it, and Gaea, and Lucifer. Perhaps others have known it, but I have no notion who they might be."

Parry considered. "G.o.d surely would not tell his archenemy! Lucifer-he is now confined to the deepest flames of h.e.l.l?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"I rather doubt that he would tell me! Especially since he stands to recover the Office if I wash out during my trial period. That leaves Gaea."

"I believe Lucifer learned it from her," Lilah agreed.

"Then I will have to ask Gaea."

"I fear she will not give it to You, my Lord."

"Why not? If I'm an Incarnation, and she's an Incarnation, shouldn't there be professional courtesy?"

"The other Incarnations oppose You, my Lord. They labor only to frustrate Your ambition."

"But if Lucifer-"

"I don't know how he got it from her. He did not allow me to accompany him. I suspect he charmed it from her, when she was relatively new in office. But now she is old in office, and will not be deceived again."

Parry sighed. "Well, I'll just have to see if I can get along without, then. But first, tell me your history; I do want to know, to set the context for our a.s.sociation. Just make a simple summary that covers what you know will interest me."

"Gladly, my Lord. I am the original demoness, first called Lilith, and sent to be the wife of the first mortal man, Adam."

"You are that one?" Parry asked, amazed. "How old are you?"

"As old as man, my Lord. G.o.d created Adam, but forgot to create a woman, so Samael fashioned me from ether to be Adam's companion in Eden."

"Who?"

"Samael. The first Prince of Demons, also known as the Angel of Death."

"But what of Lucifer?"

"The Incarnations of this office have a.s.sumed different names, each choosing the one he prefers, as You have also, my Lord. All are the same in significance."

"I-that was why you made me choose? Because each has to have a different t.i.tle?"

"Once he proves himself in office. Any name will do. But it is best to take a familiar one, the way Your Popes do, so that others understand Your nature."

"I shall keep the one you prompted me to take," Parry said, realizing that it was her desire to see him succeed in his trial period and become permanent that had prompted her to make him choose all his primary attributes-form, t.i.tle, consort-at the outset. "So you were Adam's first wife?"

"I was, and a good one, too. There was no human blood in me, but I was as soft and sweet as any mortal could be, and considerably more durable. I taught him everything he knew about the joys of copulation."

"I'm sure you did. But didn't G.o.d object?"

She laughed. "G.o.d was not as prudish then as he is now! It varies with the Officeholder. He let it be; after all, it did keep Adam occupied and out of mischief. But then I spoiled it."

"You spoiled it?"

She frowned reminiscently. "Adam-well, he had some rough edges. He got this idea that he was superior, just because he was male. Naturally I couldn't go along with that! He might have claimed superiority because he was mortal, but not because he was male. So I told him to cut out that chauvinism or I'd cut out the pleasure. Stubborn fool, he wouldn't give over, so I gave him a taste of no s.e.x. That drove him wild! But would You believe it, he complained to G.o.d that I was uncooperative, and G.o.d banned me from Eden?"

"How could G.o.d ban a creature Samael had made?"

"It was G.o.d's garden. He couldn't legitimately destroy me, but he could exclude me from his property. I didn't like it, and my Master was not at all pleased, but there was nothing we could do. So I left, and G.o.d ripped a rib out of Adam's side and fashioned that bone into a golem-girl he called Eve, and you bet she had no feminist notions! But I got back at them."

"Oh, no-not the serpent!"

She smiled. "h.e.l.l hath no fury like that of a demoness scorned; You know that, Parry-I mean, my Lord. I was new then, and had some rough edges of my own. Samael sent me to corrupt Eve-that was my first negative a.s.signment-so I a.s.sumed the form of a serpent and tempted that foolish girl to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. You see, they had not realized that all this nakedness and fornication was sinful. Suddenly they knew, and it changed their lives, and G.o.d then threw them out of the Garden. Thus we had our revenge."

"You had your revenge," Parry agreed, amazed. "You are really that same creature?"

"I am, and I have served every Master of Evil since. Some I married, some I only accommodated. Each tired of me after a few centuries, and lost my guidance, and subsequently blundered and lost his position, as You will too, my Lord, inevitably, for it is the masculine nature to be fickle. But meanwhile we shall have an interesting time."

"How is it that you have never a.s.sumed the Office of the Incarnation of Evil yourself? Surely you have been in a position to!"

"You forget, my Lord: I am a demoness. I have no soul. Only a living mortal can a.s.sume the Office."

"But I am dead!"

"No, my Lord. You are alive. You a.s.sumed the Office in Your last moment of life, and became immortal and ageless. Only when You retire can You die-and Your successor may not allow You to die, any more than You have allowed Lucifer to die."

"I haven't?"

"No. You let him be confined in the manner of a d.a.m.ned soul, but he cannot die until You allow him to. That choice will be Yours after You take permanent possession of the Office."

"What of the prior Incarnations of Evil? Did they die?"

"Oh, yes, in time. It is safer to let them die, so that none can resume the Office. They now serve in various important capacities, for their expertise in the ways of h.e.l.l is matchless."

"But don't they ferment trouble for the current Officeholder? It must be quite a comedown to be a d.a.m.ned soul, after being the Incarnation."

"That may be, but they are tough creatures. You can trust them, for their ambition is forever stultified."

Parry had an inspiration. "Those prior Officeholders! They must know the demon-destruction spell!"

She smiled. "They know it, certainly, my Lord. But they will not tell You."

"What, not one of them?"

"None I can think of. They are immune to blandishments. They will serve You from pride, but will not help You gain power. That You must do for Yourself."

Parry sighed. "I don't suppose you could charm it from one of them?"

"You forget, my Lord: I have been used for centuries by each of them. I have no mysteries remaining, no allure for them."

Parry gazed at her, not entirely pleased at this reminder. He was the latest in a virtually eternal line of lovers. No wonder Lilah was skilled in this respect! "Well, let's get on to h.e.l.l," he said somewhat gruffly.

She took his arm, conscious of his jealousy. "Do not forget, my Lord: I am made of ether. I have no existence other than this. I was crafted to serve man, beginning with the first, and that I do as well as I am able. I now give to You that same loyalty I gave to each holder of the Office. You cannot fault me for that, only for inadequate performance in my role."

Parry relaxed. It was true; he had no business getting jealous of her prior lovers. She was no woman, but a demoness.

Lilah opened the porthole in the air, and they pa.s.sed through it to the entrance to h.e.l.l. But this time they took the scenic route, coming down at the outer boundary of h.e.l.l. The tunnel debouched into an ugly forest whose twisted trees seemed about to clutch at any travelers, and these flinched as the path skirted the trees.

"The newly d.a.m.ned souls?" Parry asked.

"Yes, my Lord. At death they descend, their velocity determined by the weight of evil on their souls, and land in this forest. See, some have problems already." She gestured.

He looked, and spied several figures struggling in high branches. They had snagged in their descent, and were trying to work free. Parry and Lilah joined the procession following the path. None of the others took notice. The d.a.m.ned souls looked exactly like living folk, complete with clothing, but were singularly somber.

The path broadened into a road, accommodating the unhappy travelers. Ahead was a mighty gate, with a giant arch over it. As Parry approached it, he read the words ABANDON HOPE, ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE! He nodded. The arrivals were evidently of many nationalities, and most were surely illiterate, but it was evident that each understood that dread warning. All those who entered here were d.a.m.ned.

He pa.s.sed on under the arch. The road brought them to the dismal bank of a broad, brooding river.

"This is the Acheron," Lilah said. "The River of Woe that surrounds h.e.l.l. We shall have to wait for Charon."

In due course the ferry came: a raft that nudged barely above the surface of the water. The ferryman poled it along with fair dispatch, then stepped onto the bank and held out his withered hand for payment. His eyes glowed like coals. Each soul had to give a small coin. Those who lacked coins were barred from boarding.

"The coins are from the eyes placed on the deceased mortals," Lilah explained. "Unfortunately, not all who die are properly buried."

"But what happens to them if they can't enter h.e.l.l?" Parry asked.

"They must wait until the need to cross becomes too great to resist, as their bodies rot in the ground. Then they must cross as they can, by wading or swimming."

Parry looked at the river. Now he smelled it: the miasma of the nethermost of sewers. There were suggestive ripples, as of great beasts that swam in the murk, waiting for prey. Indeed, he heard a scream, and saw a woman flail and splash, as if being drawn under.

"But they can't drown," he said.' "They are already dead!"

"They can't drown, but they can suffer all the agony of drowning, without limit," she explained.

Parry considered that as he watched the woman struggle and slide under the surface. "Point taken. But I want that woman rescued."

"You may direct Charon," she said dubiously.

"Charon!" he snapped. "Draw that woman from the water!"

The sinister ferryman looked at him, then looked away, ignoring him.

Parry controlled his anger. "Am I or am I not the master of this realm?" he asked Lilah.

"You are and You are not," she said. "That is, the t.i.tle is Yours, but You have to prove yourself before Your minions will obey You."

"And to do that I need the spell to destroy demons," he said.

"Yes, my Lord. That same spell cannot destroy souls, but can banish them to restricted regions, which has much the same effect."

"Let's just see what I can do without it," he said grimly.

He strode past the waiting souls and boarded the raft. Charon lifted his ugly head to stare at him. "Charon, I am the new Incarnation of Evil. If you value your position, you will obey me with alacrity. Pick up that woman!"